Lincoln Park Zoo opens Nature Boardwalk

June 24, 2010

Thousands of fish in Lincoln Park Zoo's South Pond had to be killed before officials could proceed with a redesign.

Now, the zoo is restocking the pond and attempting to create an entire ecosystem for native fish and wildlife. Tree stumps and vegetation have been placed on the pond's bottom, and ledges for swallows' nests were installed under a bridge that traverses the pond. More than 100 trees and regional plants have been planted.

The new Nature Boardwalk around South Pond was opened to the public today. As Mayor Richard Daley looked on, children released dozens of minnows into the pond. Turtles, largemouth bass and bluegills will be released in the coming days.

The 14-acre pond, which sits on the south end of the zoo, was built in 1876 for recreational purposes. Paddle boats plied its waters in the summer, and people skated across its ice in the winter.

Over the years, seven species of fish, many of them non-native, made the concrete and steel-lined pond their home, as did a colony of endangered black-crowned night herons. The fish had to be killed for the redesign because it's illegal to release non-native species in the state's waterways.

Seven years ago, the Park District asked the nonprofit Lincoln Park Zoological Society to raise $12 million to turn the pond into an outdoor wilderness classroom. The district pitched in $2.5 million.

The construction, scheduled around the herons' breeding cycle, took more than a year. The formerly shallow pond is now 20 feet deep, allowing plenty of room for fish to survive the winter.

While attracting wildlife may be a challenge, attracting people wasn't on Thursday afternoon. Dozens of children peered into the pond, and women practiced yoga under a nearby pavilion.

"It's a cool escape from the city," said Justin Garbutt, who was escorting children from his church around the pond. "It's like a breath of fresh air."